


I Gave My Life To Stand Beside You

by NoblehouseofTargaryen (Captain_Shep)



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Genre: Angst, F/M, King Alistair, Mistress!Mahariel - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-16
Updated: 2015-03-16
Packaged: 2018-03-18 03:53:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3555083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_Shep/pseuds/NoblehouseofTargaryen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mahariel realises that her decision to remain as Alistair's mistress may be more destructive than she thought.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Gave My Life To Stand Beside You

Mahariel looks up as one of Alistair’s messengers knocks and enters the room, his eyes downcast. She feels her heart sink low into her stomach immediately, already knowing what the messenger is about to say. “He’s not coming is he?” she asks, already familiar with this particular messenger, who had been to her on six different occasions in the past week.

The messenger shakes his head grimly, looking down at his feet as she takes a deep breath in her nose, trying to stop her lip from trembling as her eyes sting with tears. “He’s still tied up with the envoys from Orlais My Lady, and… the Queen wished to see him afterwards.”

Mahariel nods, standing from the table where she’d had an elaborate dinner laid out, gesturing to it offhandedly. “Get someone to come take this away.” She whispers, hearing the messenger murmur his assent as she shoves open the door to her chambers, waiting until she’s closed the door before the hot tears pool into her eyes, overflowing quickly before they begin to stream down her cheeks.

She doesn’t even make it to the bed, instead sliding down the door as a sob breaks its way from her chest. She pulls her knees up to her chest, letting the sorrow she’d kept hidden the past few weeks finally come loose, tears streaking down her cheeks as she sobs, fingers tearing through her hair in agony as she cries.

Eventually, many hours later exhaustion takes over, she falls into slumber propped against her door, tears still shining on her cheeks as she slumps over, losing the battle to stay awake.

She slips into dreaming, her heart still heavy with sorrow as she sleeps fitfully throughout the night.

-

She’s awoken by a gentle hand touching her face, stroking away dried tears and her tangled hair, a voice calling her from her dreams. She snaps open her eyes with a gasp, groaning at the pain in her lower back and legs from where she’d slept curled up on the hard floor.

“What are you doing down there?” Alistair asks her softly, his eyes looking at her with worry. She looks up at him and feels her heart throb, tears pooling behind her eyes yet again. Mahariel shakes her head, pushing away his hands angrily as she pulls herself to her feet, brushing past him without a word.

His eyes follow her, widening as she palms him off without a care. “Mahariel what’s going on?” he asks, worry coating his voice as he tried to grab her wrist. She pulls away from him instantly, hands rising into the air as she turns to him with fire in her eyes.

“How many times this week have you palmed me off Your Majesty?” she asks coldly, eyes narrowing to slits as his mouth opens and closes, searching blindly for words. “You didn’t even come yourself, you sent a messenger, this is the first time I’ve seen you in six days.”

He looks down, ashamed as she turns, trying to keep more tears from falling. “I’m a King, I have a responsibility to my people.” He says, his voice hardening now, anger coating his words. She snaps her head to him, anger raging in her belly as she rounds on him.

“Don’t you think I don’t know that?” she cries, throwing her hands into the air. “I’m reminded of it with every passing second!” He takes a step back at her anger, widened eyes betraying his shock but she didn’t back down. “All this pomp and gowns and people bowing to me and calling me My Lady – its ridiculous!”

She rips at her gown as she speaks, the deep green reminding her of home. “You leave me here, alone, you told me when we slayed the Arch Demon that you’d love me, and care for me.” She takes a deep shuddering breath, feeling the tears dripping from her cheeks.

“I gave up my life – my clan, to stand beside you Alistair.” She whispers, clenching her fists as she thinks of home, of her family. “And here I am.” She pauses, sighing deeply before running a hand through her hair. “A glorified prostitute, the kings elven mistress!” she laughs, sarcasm dripping from her dark chuckles as she paces across the room.

His jaw is clenched, hands balled into fists as he stares at her, eyes furious as she speaks. She knows he wants to yell, to scream profanity. But he’s a King now, and Kings don’t do such things. Mahariel almost wished he would, that he’d yell and show her something other than the ever polite King that he was.

With a sigh, he turns, taking a deep breath as he opens her door, calmly stepping outside and closing the door behind him without a word. Her mouth pops open at his actions, before a wild scream tears from her throat, her hands whipping out without a thought to throw everything off her dressing table, bottles of perfume and jewellery flying across the floor, sending loud smashing echoes throughout the hall as they shatter.

She sobs, throwing herself down onto the too large, too empty bed, curling into a ball and wishing her Keeper was there to run her fingers through her hair, whispering that everything would be alright.

She’d never have that life again.


End file.
